Cutie in the Mud
by Reese Mc Swirl
Summary: Reese wants to be a normal racer. For the last ten years, she has been teased for being a non-playable character - or a locked character. Deep inside her code, she knows she is meant to do something, something BIG, and it has to do with the whole arcade. Join Reese Mc Swirl on her dangerous journey to find her place in her game, and in the arcade. (I only own Reese and the plot.)


Reese Mc Swirl was going through the worst day in the history of Sugar Rush.

The hoodie wearing girl was innocent. Taffyta just _had _to blame her for "messing up her race". She _had _to bring the rest of the Sugar Rush racers with her to pick on her. Reese hadn't ever been anywhere _near_ the racetrack where the Random Roster Race was taking place. It's not like the track went through the Candy Cane Tree Forest, where Reese lives. If it did, none of the Peep birdies or Nesquik bunnies would live in her homeland!

She was feeding the animals when she heard the screaking of tires, alerting her and her fuzzy friends that danger had entered the forest. The bunnies quickly ran off and the birdies flew higher up onto the branches, leaving Reese to fend for herself. She got up and dusted her orange zip-up hoodie, brown ruffle skirt and swirly tights; she should at least look presentable, even if she was just about to get hurt. She tugged at the ends of her long, chocolate brown hair nervously.

The figures of the angry Taffyta and her gang of racers appeared in front of her. They all wore casual outfits, the boys had on graphic t-shirts and basketball shorts and the girls wore tank tops and running shorts. This is what the racers usually wear when the arcade is closed.

Taffyta Muttonfudge, Crubelina Di Caramello, and Candlehead led the group into the clearing Reese was standing in. _'Every racer is here! Even the recolors!' _she thought, fear slowly creeping up on her. The most surprising thing, was one of three friends were standing amongst them, Rancis Fluggerbutter.

He was the only racer who didn't tease her. In fact, she met him after the first time Taffyta had teased her for being a NPC, non-playable character. She was a locked character, and it seem that it would stay that way. Rancis didn't care. He welcomed her with open arms and a warm smile. He treated Reese like a sister, but Reese saw him as her prince charming. She wished for him to one-day sweep her off her feet, but Rancis would never feel that way about her. She felt like she would be forever alone.

"Oh look, it's the race crasher herself, Reese Mc Swirly Pants!" Taffyta said through gritted teeth. Every racer laughed except Rancis, who gave her an I-was-dragged-here-I'm-sorry look. Reese looked shocked as Taffyta said this. _'I never would never do that! I'm not mean!'_ she thought.

"Oh, don't give us that face, Ghost Girl!" Crubelina shouted with crossed arms, "We know you're the one who wreaked the Random Roster Race!"

"Yea! You're friends with that Wreck It guy! He must've taught you how to, not like you need it!" Candlehead shouted, the candle on top of her head getting larger with anger.

"B-B-but I-I'm n-not even close t-to the t-track!" Reese protested, her shyness taking over her words causing her to stutter them. Guilt took over; making her already red cheeks burn brighter. She was the shyest little girl, so when there were so many people in one room, she could barely talk.

"Oh save it, you criminal!" Taffyta sneered. She grabbed Reese by the back of her hair, pulling her down so she could look down on her. "Now, because of you, I'm not racing today!"

Reese looked at all of the other racers. None of them took her side. Every one of them gave her the same hateful look. Only the Sugar Rush Rancis, looked doubtful of just standing there. Reese knew that none of the racers would ever stand up for her; they were all too scared of Taffyta. Especially Rancis, he had his popular reputation to keep. He would only help her behind their back. Tears formed up in Reese's eyes as she looked at them. She didn't even know why the racers hated her so much! Was it something she said? What made them want to destroy everything she did? Reese's shyness clogged her through, keeping her from fighting back.

"Just as I thought!" Taffyta spat, pulling her down lower. "You're guilty! We should lock you up in the fungeon at the President's castle!" Thankfully Vanellope wasn't here. She had run into her a lot when she was still classified as a glitch. They had talked and became friends, but had always left each other because of the racers hatred for both of them. If they teamed up, those sugarcoated tyrants would think Vanny and Reese were teaming up to hurt them. Now that Vanellope was president, Reese steers clear of the castle, afraid that Vanny is going to hate her to.

"What? Got nothing to say, Vampire girl?" Crumbelina asked her, the surrounding racers laughing at her joke. _'Curse my pale skin!'_ Reese thought angrily as her cheeks burned brighter.

"Now, you're going to pay, _Reese_," Taffyta said, saying her name like it was the worst thing since the Cybugs' invasion. Taffyta and Reese had a mini stare-off, but it was obviously won by Taffyta. With Taffyta's victory, she looked over to Candlehead and Crumbelina and nodded.

Candlehead got the memo and led Crumbelina over to where Reese's hover board was leaning on one of the candy trees. Ralph got her one from _Hero's Duty_. It was painted orange and a golden–peachy color, with little light orange and yellow swirls with brown dots that looked like chocolate chips. Reese had just repainted it.

"N-No! Please!" Reese yelled. She knew what they were going to do. They were going to _wreck it_. Reese begged Taffyta to stop them, but all she did was smirk and shout at the racers to proceed. Candlehead and Crumbelina told the other racers to do it as they walked back to Taffyta to watch.

Reese cried out in horror as the Sugar Rush racers stomped, jumped, and kicked it: breaking it to scraps of metal and paint. She watched as it sparked up and caught aflame, then died out just as fast. Rancis shared the same pain as Reese, standing back in horror. Rancis knew what it was like to be taunted by them; especially Taffyta. She used to tease him for no being able to get higher than second in a race. Vanellope helped him beat her. That happened only a few months ago. That's when Reese and Rancis got a little closer. He got what she was going through. They started to hang out a little more. He told her stories about racing, they had picnics, and he even took her on a ride in his kart. Simple things.

Just as her pleasant memories ended, the horrible racers had finished with her hover board. It was_ gone_. _Destroyed_. Reese was heart broken. That was her only way of getting around fast.

Taffyta then turned back around to Reese and poked her in the chest. _Hard_. "You will _never_ be one of us, Swirly Pants!" Candlehead tripped her and Crumbelina kicked her leg. Reese cried out in pain. The worst thing they could do to be what Taffyta was about to yell. "_You will always be a NPC!_"

With that, Reese was pushed into the green taffy swamp that was under one of the Candy Trees. All Reese heard was the laughter of all the racers. All she saw through the tears was Taffyta standing in the wreckage of Reese's homemade kart, her foot on top of one of the wheels. She stood over it like she was queen of the wreckage. Taffyta then turned around, jumped into her kart and drove off. She never gave Reese even a glance of pity. As the karts were heard racing off to wherever they were going next, Reese cried. Tears poured out of her eyes, she didn't even bother to get out of the swamp.

"Hey! Reese! Are you ok?" she heard Rancis yell as he ran towards her. _'He came back?'_ Reese thought as she felt him pull her out of the taffy. All Reese could do was cry as Rancis lead her to his kart. As he jumped into the driver's seat, Reese climbed on, sitting right behind him. "I should have stopped them! You don't deserve this!" he shouted, clearly angry with himself.

"H-Hey… You came back to help me, you didn't do _everything_ wrong," Reese said, whipping her nose and eyes as he started driving. He was heading to her home in the forest. She was really glad she wasn't really alone.

"I'm glad I could help you," he said, looking back at her by using the rear-view mirror. Reese blushed slightly, he was actually sorry.

As he turned around to look back at the road, Reese's eyes wandered around the forest. The white chocolate horses peeked their heads out of the forest, causing Rancis to freak out. Reese just laughed. _'Why is he so nervous?'_ she thought.

"Don't freak out! Their just horses! Their _so _sweet!" Reese told him as she tossed one a candy corn carrot that she took out of pocket. It ate it in one chomp, which freaked Rancis out even more.

"You hang out with these things?!" he yelled, giving Reese a weird look.

"Doi," she said with a smirk, crossing her arms as she acted all proud of herself. Reese was such a different person once you get to know her, cocky and energetic, but she always has the shyness that comes up a lot.

A small flock of multicolored Peeps birds flew above the two candy-coated characters, making Reese giggle as one landed on her finger. She gave it a few candy crumbs before it flew off.

"Why do animals like you so much?" Rancis asked her as she let a Nesquik bunny hop on her lap.

"I'm nice to them. I feed them and help them in sticky situations. I'm their friends," Reese told him as she looked down at the bunny. She scratched its head, casing it to thump its foot. This caused Reese to giggle.

"Well, I bet your friends with all of them!" Rancis exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air, causing the kart to swerve. This caused the bunny to freak and jump out of the kart. As Rancis got his kart under control, Reese laughed. It was true; most animals liked her. She could be friends with them and they wouldn't judge her for being an NPC. They'd play with her and help her out. Animals have liked Reese for as long as she could remember, and without them, she probably couldn't have made it through her life of taunting.

When Rancis pulled his kart to a stop, Reese hopped off the kart. Rancis climbed out of the driver's seat and jogged over to Reese as she walked down narrow dirt paths that lead to her house. She made it deep in the woods so the racers couldn't find her. It was in this big piece of cake that was above the ground. It was in it's own little clearing with a nice licorice field where animals visited her.

As the two candy-coated programs walked down the path, they talked. He told her about his races and she told him about hanging out with Ralph. Reese loved hearing Rancis's stories. It made her heart race, and deep down in her code, something would spark. It felt like she was meant to race. It also told her that the trill has happened to her, and it will. Reese has no memories of racing anyone. In fact, she doesn't remember much of anything before she appeared in the middle of this very forest. All those memories are blurred, they have told nothing.

"Hey, I've gotta go." Rancis's voice snapped Reese back into reality. "Taffyta is probably getting suspicious. I'll talk to you later," Rancis said before giving her a short hug. Reese hugged him back, her face getting hotter with a blush. Then he walked off, waving to her as he left her doorstep. He gave her one more smile before racing off.

Reese turned around, and then opened the door into her home. It opened up to a large room with an open kitchen that looks into a living room. It has a couch, table, and TV; so she can watch the random roster races, as well as the arcade races. There is a window on the right wall that looks out to the licorice field. Upstairs there is her bedroom, bathroom, and washing room.

Reese quickly runs and clicks the TV on. It replays the accident Taffyta had on the track. _Rancis hit her with a power up_. Reese wasn't sad anymore. She knew what happened. Plus, Ralph was going to take her to Tapper's. Looking at a clock in the kitchen, she realized she had just enough time to change.

Reese ran up the swirly stairs and went straight into the restroom to change quickly. She came out and looked into the mirror in her bedroom. Now she has an orange t-shirt that says 'Choco – Pancakes' that falls off her right shoulder, reveling the strap of her yellow tank top on. She also has on brown shorts on and yellow sneakers with orange and brown laces. A light orange and yellow ribbon wraps up her leg and end at her knee. A few brackets hang on her wrist.

Reese twirls around and winks at the mirror. Giggling, she takes a shoulder bag off a hook and with a few quarters inside of it that Ralph had given her. Running down the stairs, she put a few things in her bag: a camera, a snack, and a pair of sunglasses. She had never been outside of Sugar Rush. She wanted to capture every moment.

Reese was probably going to shy out in Game Central Station. Luckily, Ralph was meeting her at the train. He had told her all about the characters in _Mario Bros._, _Sonic the hedgehog_, _Fix it Felix Jr._, _Hero's Duty_, and every other game she could imagine. "Hero's Duty!' Reese laughed, "What a weird name for a game!"

She ran out of her home as quick as she could. She used her speed to jump up to the top of the Candy Tree next to her home. Her speed was a special 'power'; just like the president's glitch or Felix's hammer. Reese is the fastest character in Sugar Rush Speedway. It has helped her run from bullies many times. It also made sneaking around a breeze. "If only I had a real kart." she said with disgust, "I would cream all those know-it-alls!"

Reese held onto the trunk of the tree, one foot on and one foot hanging in the air. Using her free hand to block the sun, she saw the exit out of her game and into Game Central Station. To get there, she would have to sneak through the Candy Cane Forest; which meant getting past the Laffy Taffy Vines and the Nesquik-Sand pit, and somehow up the Rainbow Bridge to get to the train.

How could she sneak past them all if she had no hover board, much less her hoodie to hide her face? Yes, she had sunglasses, but would that stop Taffyta from noticing her? Reese's eyes widened when she heard a familiar sound.

_Double Stripe._


End file.
